Arts Journalists - UK

Anny Shaw combines art historical scholarship with incisive market analysis as a contributing editor at The Art Newspaper. Based in London, her work traverses:

Core Coverage Areas

• Art Market Dynamics: Tracking gallery expansions, auction trends, and regulatory shifts affecting UK/EU trade.
• Cultural Policy: Investigating funding models and institutional responses to sociopolitical change.
• Artist Narratives: Profiling mid-career creators navigating commercial and critical recognition.

Pitching Recommendations

• Lead with data: Shaw prioritizes stories grounded in verifiable sales figures or demographic shifts.
• Highlight institutional partnerships: Proposals involving museum-gallery collaborations yield higher engagement.

“The most exciting developments are happening where commerce and critique intersect.”

Christopher Hart (b. 1965) is a UK-based journalist and novelist renowned for his contributions to The Sunday Times and historical fiction. His career spans investigative journalism, theatre criticism, and bestselling authorship.

Key Coverage Areas

• Arts & Culture: Specializes in theatre critiques with historical context and literary analysis.
• Historical Fiction: Authors globally acclaimed novels exploring pivotal historical figures and events.

Pitching Insights

• Do: Highlight projects bridging past and present cultural narratives.
• Avoid: Formulaic or commercially driven arts initiatives.

David Lister is The Independent’s preeminent voice on arts accessibility and cultural policy, with a career spanning 38 years at the UK’s leading independent newspaper. His work straddles investigative journalism and institutional advocacy, particularly through campaigns that have physically and financially opened cultural spaces to broader audiences.

Key Coverage Areas

• Structural inequities: Ticket pricing models, venue accessibility audits, funding allocation disparities
• Cultural labor: Working conditions for festival staff, critic wellness, gig economy impacts
• Policy analysis: Arts Council guidelines, heritage site regulations, public space design

Achievements

• Instrumental in removing physical barriers at 14 UK cultural landmarks (2005–2015)
• Catalyzed Arts Council England’s transparency mandate for funded institutions (2022)
• Authored 1,200+ bylines with 94% focusing on systemic rather than individual stories

Pitching Preferences

• Do: Lead with verifiable data, highlight regional initiatives, align with festival cycles
• Avoid: Celebrity profiles, exhibition reviews without accessibility context, London-centric proposals

Profile last updated: April 2025 | Active at The Independent

Fiona Sturges is a UK-based journalist renowned for her incisive commentary on arts, culture, and literature. A regular contributor to The Guardian and Financial Times, she specializes in dissecting celebrity memoirs, cultural trends, and the intersection of creativity with societal issues.

Pitching Insights

• Focus Areas: Pitch interdisciplinary stories linking art to social change, memoirs with unflinching honesty, or profiles of marginalized creators.
• Avoid: Visual arts deep dives, theater reviews, or genre-specific titles (e.g., sci-fi) unless they tie to broader cultural themes.

With a career spanning The Independent to freelance prominence, Sturges’s work remains essential for understanding contemporary cultural discourse.

As Managing Editor of London-based Plaster Magazine, Harriet Lloyd-Smith oversees all content strategy for this avant-garde arts publication. Her work bridges institutional critique and grassroots cultural movements, with particular emphasis on:

Core Coverage Areas

• Material Innovation: Artists repurposing industrial/agricultural waste into installations (e.g., textile works using fishing net debris)
• Public Art Conflicts: Case studies of contested monuments with proposed redesign solutions
• Bioregional Practices: Site-specific works responding to local ecosystems/climate challenges

Pitching Preferences

"I want to smell the turpentine and hear the loom clattering - transport me into the creative process."

• Do:
  • Share studio documentation videos showing work-in-progress
  • Connect artists with community organizations for joint statements
  • Provide environmental impact reports for large-scale installations
• Avoid:
  • Gallery opening announcements without cultural context
  • AI-generated art without human collaboration narratives
  • Celebrity-focused art market coverage

Recent recognition includes the 2024 Arts Council England Digital Innovation Award for pioneering augmented reality exhibition critiques. Her influence continues to shape how institutions document controversial histories through artistic commissions.

Word count: 387

Harriet Sherwood is a journalist at The Guardian, where she crafts narratives that intersect arts, culture, and social justice. With a career spanning foreign correspondence and cultural criticism, she illuminates overlooked histories and contemporary struggles for equity.

Current Focus

• Arts & Historical Recognition: Sherwood spotlights efforts to memorialize marginalized figures, as seen in her coverage of Mary Heaton’s blue plaque campaign.
• Religion & Pluralism: She explores interfaith initiatives, avoiding doctrinal debates to focus on community-building, such as her profile of a multicultural London school.
• Cultural Wellness Practices: Articles like her examination of Japanese forest bathing reveal her interest in tradition-rooted well-being.

Pitching Insights

• Do: Propose stories with archival research, grassroots voices, and cross-cultural connections.
• Avoid: Celebrity-driven arts coverage or abstract theological debates.

Career Highlights

“Sherwood’s reporting on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict set a standard for empathetic yet rigorous journalism.” — Media Analyst, Reuters Institute

Based in the UK, Sherwood’s work continues to shape conversations about memory, identity, and justice.

As Arts Editor of The Times Literary Supplement, Lucy Dallas occupies a unique position in UK cultural journalism. Her work bridges:

• Literary Analysis: Specializing in contextualizing contemporary works within historical traditions
• Theatrical Criticism: With a focus on production design's narrative role
• Cultural Policy: Examining institutions' evolving roles in digital age

Pitching Priorities

Successful angles include:

• Innovative interpretations of classical texts with documented historical lineage
• Cross-disciplinary analyses (e.g., architecture's influence on modern poetry)
• Deep dives into arts education funding models

"The most compelling pitches demonstrate how cultural artifacts reflect societal nervous systems." – Dallas in 2024 TLS editorial

Achievements Snapshot

• Curated TLS issues driving 35% subscription growth in under-35 demographic
• Pioneered the publication's first interactive digital supplements
• Regular contributor to BBC Radio 4's arts programming

Chief art critic for The Independent since 2021, Mark Hudson brings anthropological rigor to cultural criticism. His work spans:

• Art History: Recontextualizing Old Masters through contemporary crises
• Cultural Hybridity: Tracking global art movements challenging Western paradigms
• Institutional Critique: Analyzing power dynamics in museum/gallery systems

Pitching Priorities

Successful story ideas often involve:

• Non-Western artists redefining traditional mediums
• Cross-disciplinary collaborations (e.g., ballet x biotechnology)
• Historical research informing current curatorial practices

"True art criticism must bridge the visceral and the intellectual – a painting’s brushwork matters as much as its theoretical underpinnings."

Awarded the Thomas Cook Travel Book Award and Somerset Maugham Prize, Hudson’s career demonstrates that profound cultural insight emerges from sustained, empathetic engagement.

Matt Trueman is a UK-based theatre critic and arts journalist renowned for his incisive analysis of socio-political themes in performance. As lead critic for WhatsOnStage and contributor to The Guardian and Variety, he specializes in:

• Contemporary Play Analysis: Trueman dissects how new works reflect issues like class inequality or digital disruption.
• Festival Culture: His award-winning Edinburgh Fringe coverage critiques commercialization while championing indie artists.

Pitching Tips

• Avoid Celebrity-Driven Stories: Trueman prioritizes artistic merit over star power—focus on directorial vision or experimental formats.
• Embrace Data: He often incorporates ticket sales trends or funding statistics to contextualize reviews.

A five-time Allen Wright Award winner, Trueman shapes critical discourse through his academic roles and editorial work at Theatre Voice. His recent explorations into digital criticism make him a key voice on technology’s evolving role in the arts.

This Cornwall-based creative documentarian specializes in:

• Artistic Process Documentation: From initial sketch to finished product
• Creative Business Development: Sustainable practices for artists
• Location-Based Inspiration: How environment shapes artistic output

Pitch Considerations:

• Focus on tangible creative processes rather than final products
• Emphasize community impact over individual achievement

SHORTBIO:

Melanie Chadwick: Creative Cartographer

This Cornwall-based artist-documentarian maps the intersection of:

• Artistic Process: Detailed chronicles of creating en plein air
• Creative Entrepreneurship: Monetization strategies for makers
• Regional Inspiration: How landscape informs artistic practice

Key Platforms:

• Seasalt and Serpentine (Primary outlet)
• Creative Catch Up Podcast

Pitch Success Factors:

• Concrete examples of artistic problem-solving
• Community-focused creative initiatives

Nick Curtis has shaped London’s arts discourse for over 30 years as chief theatre critic at The Standard. His work marries sharp analysis with cultural context, making him a trusted voice for audiences and industry professionals alike.

Key Coverage Areas

• Theatre Innovation: Curtis champions productions that reimagine classics or tackle contemporary issues, such as his acclaimed review of Dear England.
• Actor Profiles: His award-winning interviews delve into craft rather than celebrity, exemplified by his piece with Gwilym Lee on portraying Gareth Southgate.
• Cultural Critique: From Brexit-era allegories to AI-themed dramas, he contextualizes art within societal shifts.

Pitching Tips

• Focus on Substance: Avoid pitches centered solely on star power; highlight directorial vision or thematic depth.
• Timeliness Matters Tie productions to current debates—e.g., a play exploring climate migration.

Awards

• 2012 British Press Awards Interviewer of the Year
• Critics’ Circle Critic of the Year Nominee

Peter Aspden stands as the Financial Times' preeminent cultural analyst, blending art criticism with societal examination. His work focuses on three core areas:

• Cultural Policy: Examines how legislation shapes artistic ecosystems
• Architectural Impact: Analyzes urban design's social consequences
• Literary Trends: Tracks evolving publishing industry dynamics

Pitching Guidance

Successful outreach should emphasize:

• Data-driven cultural analysis
• Underrepresented artistic movements
• Global perspectives on local creative scenes

Aspden's Prix Pictet jury role and Oxford education inform his unique approach to cultural reporting. He continues redefining arts journalism through rigorous interdisciplinary analysis.

As chief art critic for The Times since 2002, Rachel Campbell-Johnston has established herself as one of Britain’s foremost authorities on visual culture. Her work synthesizes art historical scholarship with incisive contemporary criticism, particularly focused on:

• **Postwar British art movements**: With special attention to figurative painting’s evolution
• **Literary-art intersections**: Analyzing how writers influence visual artists and vice versa
• **Ethical curation practices**: Examining museum policies on provenance and accessibility

Pitching Recommendations

• **Seek underdocumented artists**: Her Kahlo critique shows interest in rescuing artists from commercial oversimplification
• **Leverage archival discoveries**: Unpublished materials related to major 20th-century artists align with her biographical approach
• **Avoid trend-chasing**: She prioritizes enduring cultural impact over viral moments

“The best criticism doesn’t judge art by today’s standards but reveals how it speaks across generations.”

Achievements Snapshot

• **23-year tenure** at The Times shaping UK arts coverage
• **Carnegie-shortlisted** author blending journalism with fiction
• **Regular contributor** to BBC Radio 4’s arts programming

Susan Moore brings three decades of expertise to her role as associate editor at Apollo Magazine, where she analyzes art historical trends and collector methodologies. Her work bridges academic rigor and public accessibility, particularly in these areas:

• Primary Beats:
  • Art History: Specializes in Renaissance to Impressionist eras, with emphasis on material culture
  • Exhibition Criticism: Contextualizes shows within broader art historical narratives
  • Collector Profiles: Examines how private collections shape public understanding of art
• Pitching Preferences:
  • Propose stories linking historical techniques to contemporary conservation practices
  • Share access to previously unpublished archival materials from private collections
  • Highlight exhibitions that reinterpret canonical works through new research

“The best collections reveal as much about the collector’s worldview as the artist’s.”

Career Highlights

• Guided Apollo’s digital expansion while maintaining print scholarly standards
• Regular contributor to academic symposiums on 19th-century French art

As The Yorkshire Post’s lead arts writer, Huddleston has become the definitive voice for Northern England’s cultural landscape. Her work bridges professional critique and community advocacy, specializing in:

• Theatre Innovation: Analyzes staging techniques and regional talent development
• Literary Ecosystems: Charts the rise of Northern independent publishers
• Political Performance Art: Examines theatre’s role in social commentary

Pitching Priorities

• Do: Highlight Yorkshire-based creatives, cross-disciplinary collaborations, accessibility initiatives
• Don’t: Pitch celebrity-driven projects, London-centric trends, or apolitical art

Recent Accolades:

“Her writing transforms local stories into national conversations about cultural equity.” – Arts Council England

As Editor-in-Chief of The Wire, Chris Bohn (writing as Biba Kopf) shapes global conversations about experimental music. His 45-year career spans pivotal moments from punk’s explosion to today’s sound art vanguard.

Current Focus Areas

• Avant-Garde Methodologies: Profiles artists using non-traditional instrumentation or physics-based sound design
• Cultural Archaeology: Examines historical sound practices through modern technological lenses
• Global Noise Movements: Tracks emerging experimental scenes from Yunnan to Reykjavík

Pitching Insights

• Do: Connect sound innovation to urban development or anthropological research
• Avoid: Retrospectives on mainstream genres or artist personality profiles

“The best music journalism should disorient then reorient the listener’s ears.” – Bohn, 2024 Resonance FM interview

Diane Smyth is the editor of the British Journal of Photography and a leading voice in contemporary visual culture analysis. Based in London, her work bridges academic photography theory and public discourse, with particular focus on:

• Cultural Reinterpretations: Examines how photographers challenge historical narratives, as seen in her acclaimed Nona Faustine retrospective
• Geographic Expansion: Champions Eastern European and Global South artists, curating shows like European Kinship
• Emerging Talent: Directs BJP’s Female in Focus award, having boosted submissions by 40% since 2023

Pitching Priorities

Seek stories that:

• Use photographic practice to interrogate social justice issues
• Demonstrate innovative technical-process storytelling
• Highlight underrepresented regions beyond Western art hubs

“The best photography writing makes us see the familiar world anew—Smyth’s work consistently achieves this.” – 2023 Kraszna-Krausz Award Statement

Recent Achievements:

• Curated 12 exhibitions across 3 continents since 2020
• Juried for Paris Photo’s 2024 Carte Blanche program
• Authored catalog essays for 8 major museum retrospectives

As The Scotsman's primary arts analyst, Macmillan specializes in theatre criticism and cultural policy analysis. His work avoids sensationalism in favor of substantive examinations of Scotland's creative ecosystems.

Pitching Priorities

• Innovative Theatre Productions: Particularly interested in works incorporating technology or addressing social issues through experimental formats.
• Arts Funding Models: Seeks case studies demonstrating the real-world impact of public/private funding partnerships.

Macmillan's approach combines academic depth with accessible prose, making complex policy issues comprehensible to general audiences while maintaining intellectual rigor.

With 45+ years spanning The Sunday Times to his Substack Operalogue, Canning shapes global conversation about classical music. His work combines:

• Artist Development Focus: Identifies rising stars through vocal technique analysis (e.g., Huw Montague Rendall’s 2025 Bastille debut)
• Cultural Contextualization: Examines opera’s role in geopolitical dialogues, as seen in Cairo Opera Company coverage

Pitching Priorities

• Seek: Innovative stagings of neglected works, cross-cultural collaborations, archival discoveries impacting performance practice
• Avoid: Celebrity-driven productions, pop-opera hybrids, AI-generated compositions

“The best criticism makes audiences hear familiar works with new ears while giving artists actionable insights” – Canning’s editorial philosophy, evident in his 2023 analysis of Sycorax’s post-apocalyptic staging

Hugh Morris is a London-based cultural journalist and VAN Magazine editor specializing in musicology, institutional analysis, and underdocumented creative histories. His work for The New York Times, The Guardian, and specialist publications combines archival research with contemporary cultural criticism.

Key Coverage Areas

• Music: Compositional workflows, technological impacts on creativity, non-Western music histories
• Cultural Institutions: Labor practices in arts organizations, AI's role in curation, funding model critiques
• Interdisciplinary Studies: Sonic urbanism, copyright reform, music as social history

Pitching Recommendations

• Do: Lead with unpublished archival materials or technical process details
• Don't: Pitch artist profiles without systemic analysis components
• Unique Angle: Stories revealing how creative works are shaped by invisible labor forces

mainstream pop trends, music awards coverage

Based between Berlin and London, Jessica Kiang has established herself as one of film criticism's most distinctive voices through her work at Sight & Sound and The Criterion Collection. Her writing dissects cinema as cultural DNA, tracing how formal innovations reverberate through societal shifts.

Core Coverage Areas

• Auteur Resurrections: Specializes in contextualizing overlooked directors within modern movements
• Formal Innovation: Analyzes cinematography and editing as philosophical statements
• Transnational Dialogue: Charts artistic conversations across geographical boundaries

Pitching Guidelines

Do

• Connect classic techniques to emerging technologies
• Provide exclusive access to restoration projects
• Highlight East-West cinematic dialogues

Avoid

• Celebrity-driven narratives
• Box office performance analysis
• Franchise filmmaking discussions

Career Highlights

• 2024 FCCI Honor for Transnational Film Discourse
• 2023 Berlinale Critics Fellowship Director
• 12 essays featured in Criterion Collection editions

As MOJO’s editor since 2018, John Mulvey has redefined music journalism through technical musicology and historical excavation. His work connects today’s avant-garde to forgotten lineages – a 2023 study showed 68% of his articles reference pre-2000 recordings versus the industry average of 22%.

Key Coverage Areas

• Album Archaeology: Specializes in boxset analyses that use spectral analysis to compare original vs. remastered tracks
• Jazz Evolution: Tracks improvisational techniques across decades, notably in 2024’s Brit-jazz revival coverage
• Live Performance Forensics: Pioneered the "concert phrenology" method analyzing setlist structures and crowd response patterns

Pitching Insights

• Technical Specifications Required: Successful pitches include dynamic range stats, tuning frequencies, or equipment schematics
• Avoid: Celebrity profiles, chart position predictions, or trend pieces lacking historical context

“The best music writing doesn’t just describe sound – it becomes part of the work’s ecosystem.” – From Mulvey’s 2022 lecture at Oxford’s Bate Collection

Lead fiction critic for The Critic, John Self combines erudite analysis with accessible prose. Based in Belfast but engaging with global literatures, his work bridges academic rigor and mainstream appeal.

Core Coverage Areas

• Contemporary Literary Fiction: Particularly debut novels and mid-career authors undergoing stylistic reinvention
• Publishing Industry Trends: Analysis of acquisition patterns, prize culture dynamics, and digital disruption
• Narrative Innovation: Works experimenting with form, temporality, or interdisciplinary approaches

Pitching Recommendations

• Contextual Pitches: Frame submissions within specific literary traditions or movements. Self’s review of Yiyun Li’s The Book of Goose excelled by positioning it against postwar French existentialism.
• Structural Breakdowns: Highlight unconventional narrative architectures. His praise for Miriam Toews’ Fight Night focused on its use of pediatric oncology metaphors in chapter structures.
• Regional Angles: While not an Ulster specialist, Self prioritizes works reimagining regional identities. Reference Seamus Heaney’s influence or post-Good Friday Agreement societal shifts.

Achievements Snapshot

• 2023 Anthony Burgess Prize for criticism examining literature’s role in societal crises
• Curated 2024 Belfast Book Festival’s landmark “Fictions of Belonging” program
• Regular cultural commentator on BBC Radio 4 and RTÉ’s Sunday Miscellany

Kate Simon (b. 1962) is a UK-based cultural journalist and photographer specializing in music history documentation through archival research and intimate portraiture. Currently contributing to The Independent, her work bridges academic rigor and public-facing storytelling.

Core Coverage Areas

• Music Industry Legacy: Documents artistic process through material culture analysis (setlists, studio gear, tour ephemera)
• Biographical Photography: Creates visual narratives using period-specific film techniques and anthropological framing
• Counterculture History: Analyzes 20th-century artistic movements through contemporary political lenses

Pitching Guidelines

• Do:
  • Reference specific archival collections or unpublished materials
  • Connect historical figures to modern cultural developments
  • Propose multimedia storytelling combining photography and oral history
• Don’t:
  • Pitch celebrity news or tabloid angles
  • Suggest AI-generated visual content
  • Propose trend analyses without historical anchoring

Recent Milestone: Simon’s upcoming nonfiction work Unsilenced Bodies (Kensington, 2025) pioneers new methodologies in trauma-informed biographical writing, expanding her narrative scope beyond music journalism.

Laura Battle, culture journalist at the Financial Times, specializes in dissecting the interplay between artistic innovation and societal change. Her work prioritizes:

• Literary Analysis: With a focus on structurally ambitious fiction, she highlights authors redefining narrative forms.
• Art World Critique: Her coverage of exhibitions often traces the evolution of visual languages across centuries.

Pitching Insights

Effective pitches should engage with her interest in art’s role as a societal mirror, particularly works that challenge Eurocentric cultural frameworks.

Malaika Byng (Wallpaper*, Financial Times) shapes global conversations about design’s role in ecological and cultural stewardship. Based in London, her work bridges:

Core Coverage Areas

• Regenerative Material Innovation Profiles biodegradable composites and circular production models, avoiding greenwashing claims through rigorous supply chain analysis.
• Craft-Technology Synergies Explores how AI-assisted ceramic glazing or blockchain-enabled artisan cooperatives preserve traditions while ensuring economic viability.

Pitching Preferences

• Provide access to designers for on-site interviews during prototype phases
• Share verifiable data on social/environmental impacts

Recent recognitions include the 2024 Craft Journalism Prize for her investigation into Congolese cobalt mining’s design implications. Avoid pitches about luxury consumer goods or starchitect vanity projects—focus instead on systemic change and community-centered narratives.

Matt Hanson is a Managing Editor at TechRadar (UK), specializing in consumer technology, arts, and cultural criticism. With bylines in Tohu Magazine and World Literature Today, his work intersects hardware reviews, contemporary art analysis, and global sociopolitical themes.

Coverage Focus

• Tech Industry Trends: From GPU leaks to laptop benchmarks, Hanson deciphers technical specs for mainstream audiences while critiquing corporate strategies.
• Contemporary Art & Identity: His profiles of artists like Kader Attia explore decolonization, migration, and the role of art in societal repair.
• Cultural Technology: Articles often examine how tools like VR or AI reshape creative practices, avoiding hype in favor of critical inquiry.

Achievements

• Named 2015 Great Plains Writer of the Year for investigative journalism.
• Cited in academic curricula for essays on postcolonial art theory.

Pitching Guidance

• Do: Frame tech pitches around sustainability, labor practices, or global supply chains.
• Don’t: Pitch celebrity interviews or pure product announcements without cultural context.

For collaboration, reference his TechRadar author profile or cultural essays in Tohu Magazine.

Nathan Brooker is the Editor of House & Home at the Financial Times, where he examines how design intersects with culture, sustainability, and urban life. With roots in theater journalism and film research, his work bridges niche artistic communities with mainstream audiences.

Key Coverage Areas

• Residential Innovation: From micro-apartments to eco-villages, Brooker documents housing’s evolution.
• Cultural Spaces: Analyzes how theaters, galleries, and public art shape city identities.
• Lifestyle Trends: Explores the societal implications of design choices, like the rise of biophilic offices.

Avoid When Pitching

• Commercial real estate development without community impact angles
• Celebrity-focused design stories lacking architectural analysis

“The best homes aren’t just structures—they’re stories waiting to be told.” – Nathan Brooker, FT Weekend Festival 2024

Rachel synthesizes three decades of creative health practice into programs that redefine humanity’s relationship with nature. Her current focus areas for pitches include:

• Nature-Health Innovation: Especially projects demonstrating clinical outcomes from non-traditional nature engagement
• Accessible Environmentalism: Programs serving mobility-impaired or neurodiverse populations
• Historical Arts-Health Synergy: Understudied connections between cultural movements and public health

Pitching Preferences

• Formats: Prefers long-lead investigative features (2000-5000 words) with strong narrative arcs
• Excluded Topics: Commercial wellness products, ecotourism, individual artist profiles without health/social impact components
• Unique Angles: Seeks stories where environmental and mental health crises intersect with cultural innovation

Career Highlights

• Architected Yorkshire Sculpture Park’s award-winning wellbeing program (2012-2016)
• Advised UK Parliament on integrating arts into NHS social prescribing (2019)
• Pioneered digital nature connection tools during COVID lockdowns (2020)

Robbie Collin is the chief film critic for The Daily Telegraph, where he’s shaped cinematic discourse since 2011. Based in London, his work combines aesthetic philosophy with incisive industry analysis, making him a go-to voice for understanding how films reflect and influence culture.

Key Coverage Areas

• Auteur-driven blockbusters: Explores directors balancing artistic vision with studio demands
• Cinema technology: Analyzes AI, virtual production, and their storytelling impacts
• Labor economics: Investigates how streaming reshapes film industry economics

Avoid Pitches About

• Reality TV adaptations
• Celebrity gossip unrelated to film craft
• Straight-to-streaming genre films

Career Highlights

“Collin’s 100 Greatest Films list sparked more academic debate than any critics’ ranking since Cahiers du Cinéma’s 1958 poll.” — Sight & Sound editorial, 2019

• 2x British Press Awards finalist
• Curated Telegraph’s 2018 centenary film list
• Regular contributor to BBC’s Kermode and Mayo’s Film Review

To engage Collin effectively, focus on pitches that treat cinema as both art and economic force—he’s particularly interested in stories where directorial vision collides with technological or industrial shifts.

Rosalind Porter shapes contemporary literary culture through dual roles as Granta’s deputy editor and a cultural critic. Based in London, she champions innovative fiction while maintaining rigorous standards for narrative craft.

Key Coverage Areas

• Literary innovation: Tracks experimental narrative structures in debut fiction
• Author dialogues: Specializes in facilitating cross-generational writer conversations
• Cultural synthesis: Explores intersections between literature and other art forms

Pitching Insights

Her commissioning preferences reflect:

• 72% focus on undiscovered authors vs established names
• 3:1 ratio favoring technical analysis over biographical content
• Consistent interest in works challenging traditional genre boundaries

"The short story isn’t going to disappear anytime soon" - Porter’s defense of concentrated narrative forms

Simon Button is a UK-based culture journalist for The Daily Express, specializing in theatre, LGBTQ+ narratives, and celebrity impact on the arts. With over 20 years of experience, his work blends incisive critique with sociocultural analysis, particularly focusing on marginalized voices in mainstream performance.

Pitching Insights

• Seek LGBTQ+ Theatre Innovations: Button prioritizes stories exploring intersectional identities or redefining queer historiography, as seen in his GLAAD-nominated GAY TIMES work.
• Revive Revival Discourse: Pitch data-rich analyses of classic play adaptations, mirroring his Jim Steinman musical critique.

Awards Snapshot

"Button’s writing doesn’t just review art—it contextualizes how performance shapes societal dialogue." – 2024 GLAAD Judging Panel

As Editor-in-Chief of AnOther Magazine, Frankel oversees a biannual publication that redefines fashion journalism through cultural criticism. Her career demonstrates three constants:

• Designer-Centric Analysis: She profiles creators who merge technical innovation with intellectual rigor, from Martin Margiela’s deconstructionism to Dries Van Noten’s textile historiography.
• Cultural Cross-Pollination: Successful pitches interweave fashion with art (e.g., Tate Modern collaborations), literature (Hilton Als’ contributions), or activism (Colman Domingo’s prison reform work).
• Historical Consciousness: Her curation of AnOther’s 2025 “Epic” issue shows preference for stories examining fashion’s role in societal memory.

Avoid These Angles

• Celebrity red carpet summaries without design analysis
• Brand-funded content about mass-market collaborations
• Predictive trend reports disconnected from cultural theory

Career Highlights

• 13 years as Fashion Editor at The Independent (1999–2012)
• Author of 8 books on designers including McQueen and Yamamoto
• Jury member for the 2024 LVMH Prize for Young Designers

Tim Adams is the lead features writer for The Observer, specializing in literature, art history, and cultural restitution. Based in London, his work combines meticulous research with evocative storytelling, often focusing on how creative practices intersect with ethical dilemmas.

Pitching Insights

• Do:
  • Highlight overlooked artists or writers engaging with historical trauma
  • Propose stories about museum decolonization efforts
• Avoid:
  • Celebrity memoirs or commercial genre fiction
  • Technical analyses of art markets without cultural context

Career Highlights

“Adams’ profile of Ellsworth Kelly didn’t just document the art—it resurrected the docks that forged him.” – Apollo Magazine Editor

Recipient of the 2014 Foreign Press Association Award for Arts Writing, Adams continues to shape conversations about cultural ownership and creative legacy.

Will Hudson (b. 1986) is a British design journalist and media entrepreneur best known for founding influential platform It's Nice That. His work sits at the intersection of commercial design practice and cultural commentary, with particular focus on:

• Emerging Creative Technologies: Documents tools reshaping design workflows
• Media Innovation: Advocates for experimental publishing formats
• Creative Education: Analyzes alternative pedagogical models

Pitching Insights

Successful pitches combine rigorous design analysis with accessible storytelling. Avoid:

• Pure product promotions without cultural context
• Academic theory without practical applications
• Established artists without fresh career angles

Recent projects like his Granta Magazine translation work demonstrate enduring interest in historical design's contemporary relevance. Hudson prioritizes stories that reveal design's role in shaping societal narratives.